There and not back again
by Fanny Tompkins
Summary: Lexi dies on earth and wakes in Middle Earth where she finds herself enmeshed in an adventure involving Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, Goblins, a Dragon and an epic love story. Follows (more or less) The Hobbit movie plot. Lemon or two.
1. Chapter 1

#**ShootingInToronto**

Alexandra was a busy woman. She was at the end of her 3rd week into a busy semester at the University of Toronto. She had a pile of papers to finish marking, a lesson to prep for and she was presenting a paper for a local library this weekend. She couldn't even begin to describe the tragic state of her laundry situation.

She might actually be wearing her last pair of clean underwear.

But instead of doing any of the things on her list, Lexi was sitting in the early autumn sun outside Robarts Library, indulging in one of her guiltiest pleasures...a veggie dog, on an egg bun, loaded with mustard and onions, from the best (in her opinion) food cart on campus.

"Lexi", she muttered to herself, "while this is not an excellent use of your time, this veggie dog is sublime."

She sighed happily, took another big bite, leaned back and let the watery late afternoon sun wash over her upturned face.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

Suddenly people started screaming and running. Lexi's first thought was that a car had mounted the curb and was on the sidewalk to cause that level on instantaneous panic. Then she registered a 'pop', 'pop', 'pop' noise, maybe like fireworks? Were some wise-ass kids setting off poppers and scaring the crap out of everyone?

"Gun!' she heard someone yell "He's got a gun!"

Lexi wracked her brain trying to remember protocol for a gun incidence. They trained the staff for this, but she couldn't seem to remember what to do. It had never actually happened before. She dropped her dog and began running towards the students sprinting away. She had to make sure everyone was safe. Fighting her way against the tide, Lexi had almost cleared the panicked students when someone running past her clipped her shoulder in a panic, causing Lexi to stumble sideway.

In that moment, the crowd cleared and Lexi caught a glimpse of a man in paramilitary gear, shooting at people as they ran.

'Go!' yelled Lexi, recovering her balance and pushing students toward the parked cars lining the street "get behind those cars!'

There we more popping noises and then a blinding, white hot pain shot through her. She struggled to catch her breath.

"This is no time for a panic attack", thought Lexi. She was surprised to find herself on the ground. She didn't remember getting down. She couldn't help like this and she should really get herself to safety.

She noticed the people running past her were casting frantic, pitying, glances at her. She tried to call out, to instruct them towards safety but she couldn't seem to breathe. Her chest felt heavy and liquid.

She looked up at the sky. The sky was blue, filled with puffy clouds. It was quite pretty. She should take the time to stop and look at the sky more often. Why didn't she do that?

Her vision started darkening on the sides. Lexi's wandering mind was beginning to suspect that perhaps something bad had just happened to her. Her chest felt on fire and she couldn't seem to feel her arms or legs.

She worried that they'd probably make her go to the hospital. She should have done her laundry so she wasn't stuck with her 'laundry day' pair of underwear when they doctors got ahold of her. Her mother had warned her about this. Typical.

An EMS appeared in Lexi's narrowing field of vision. She was talking, but Lexi was have trouble understanding her. Or maybe she just didn't feel like listening. She mostly wanted to take a nap; she was so tired.

"Hang in there Ma'am', you've been shot. We're going to take you to the hospital now. Stay with us'.

Lexi's world faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Life Redux**

Lexi gasped and opened her eyes.

Puffy white clouds, blue sky and…silence. That was her first hint.

Lexi coughed. Her chest felt heavy, liquid-like, a similar feeling to the time she had pneumonia. She coughed again and felt water run down her chin. She reached up to wipe it off her face only to have a bloody hand enter her field of view.

"What the…."

She struggled painfully onto her elbows, her chest and abdomen were on fire. She looked down, shocked at the amount of blood that covered her chest.

Movement on the edge of her vision.

Lexi turned her head to see an old man, in a big grey hat and dress?! He looked as flabbergasted as she felt.

Another flare of pain shot through her.

It was all she could do to whisper "Help…me…" before her elbows gave out and she resumed pondering how pretty the sky was again.

The old man got in the way of her view.

"Trahalive è pratnüe vardue" he said in a kindly and reassuring voice. "Cartinlan doan fâverka å stuergatt". *

Lexi just stared. Maybe it was the pain affecting her brain, but she couldn't place the language. Maybe it was some colloquial form of Norwegian? She was a linguist for gosh sakes, she should be able to place it.

A frisson of fear shot through her as another spasm of pain wiped all thoughts from her mind.

The old man leaned over and picked her up.

The pain was unbearable and Lexi sunk into blackness again.

Lexi opened her eyes. Was she dead?

Panic shot through her as she took in her surroundings. Nothing was familiar to her. Nothing.

She was lying in a bed, in an unfamiliar room.

Bile rose in her throat. She cast around for something to throw up in. There was a basin on the side table to the bed she was in. She emptied her stomach into it, not that there was much to bring up.

Her abdomen was agony.

She flopped back down on the bed, weakly cradling the basin beside her. She was sweating profusely but terribly cold at the same time. Her teeth chattered.

The door to her room opened and a whole retinue of people followed in a tall, stately looking, long- haired man, with a crown of sorts on his head. The old man, bareheaded was with him.

The regal man glided over to her, sat on the edge of her bed and placed a hand on her forehead.

Unable to do anything but watch him, Lexi did just that.

He spoke sharply over his should to his entourage. "Tula sa asor" **

He turned back and continued to speak quietly and kindly to her in what was, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful languages she had ever heard. If only she could recognize it.

By the manner of their dress, she thought it might be a derivative of Turkish-Azerbaijani, but again, she couldn't seem to understand in at all.

He reached out to brush the hair back from her forehead and she took the opportunity to grasp his hand with one of hers and say, "Thank you".

He looked at her curiously and then glanced at the old man. Looking back at her, he asked her what seemed to be a question in his musical language.

"I'm sorry." Lexi whispered, "I don't understand what you're saying, but you seem to be helping me and for that I am grateful."

The kingly man quirked and eyebrow and looked back at the old man once again. No one seemed to know what to say.

The door opened again and a tall slim woman, with dark hair to her waist glided into the room with a tray of bottles and instruments.

The lordly man gave Lexi one more long look and then ceded his seat to the woman. She immediately felt Lexi's forehead and started measuring out quantities of liquids into a cup. She held it up to Lexi's lips and held her head while she drank it down.

The effects of the draught were almost immediate.

Lexi's pain lessoned; she felt warmer and drowsy. She drifted off to sleep.

* Be at peace little one. I will take you to a healer

** Fetch the healer


	3. Chapter 3

**Because sometimes you need a montage**

As far as Lexi could tell, she died on June 18th in Toronto, Canada.

She was reborn in Middle Earth in…well…she was still working on learning how calendars worked here.

Gandalf the Grey had found her on the outskirts of Rivendell. He had been coming to evaluate some troubling signs he had seen in the stars, or maybe heavens, or possibly scrolls…she was still working on the basic vocabulary of Weston.

He picked her up and brought her to Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, who set his best healers to work on her.

Lexi, who would have once called herself a serious pragmatist, was at a loss to explain how Elvish medicine could save her from the three bullet holes that marred her torso when, apparently, the EMS in Toronto were unable to, but there you had it.

They had saved her, she had healed and here she was, months later, in what she had come to accept as her new life.

In her past life, Alexandra Archer was a linguist at the University of Toronto. She taught, studied and published papers with titles like 'The influence of Germanic dialect in 1570 Prussia' or 'Mapping the path of bilingual speech between English and French'. Her master's thesis had been 'The origin of language: Translation of Ancient Greek writings."

Needless to say, Lexi's varied techniques of language learning came in handy when she had to learn 2 new languages from scratch. It was literally the most challenging thing she had ever endeavoured to do.

She started out like she was baby again. Ridiculous as she felt, she had to start somewhere, so she started with basic vocabulary and pointing.

She pointed at the chair.

She pointed at the bed.

She pointed a lot at herself; eye, nose, hand, foot, finger, toes.

And she slowly started to build up a lexicon.

She was much farther ahead in Sindarin, as that was the primary language of Rivendell. However, both Elrond and Gandalf insisted that Westron would prove most useful when she had to go out into the greater world.

At first, Lexi had argued to stay with the elves. They lived a peaceful, pastoral sort of life and they were very studious in their ways. She was…happy…to learn Sindarin, healing arts and archery, her three main branches of study.

However, both Elrond and Gandalf agreed that her place was not there.

Elrond said her place was among her own kind; the tribes of men. The elves would foster her until her Westron was strong enough and she had skills enough to become independent. He also stressed that she always had a place among them if needed. She would always be a friend of the elves.

* * *

About a year after taking her first steps into recovery, Gandalf re-appeared. He came and went from Rivendell at his own pleasure. Lexi was always glad to see him return.

As usual, after the initial welcome feast, Elrond and Gandalf took to Elrond's personal study to discuss the news of the day. No one expected to see them again for any length of time for at least a few days. Lexi betook herself to the language library to brush up on her Westron grammar in hopes of impressing Gandalf with her progress.

That is where Ainleyn found her later that night. Ainleyn was originally her primary healer, but was now her best friend at Rivendell. Tall, elegant and beautiful, (weren't they all), Ainleyn also had the patience of a saint and a bone-dry sense of humour that she hid quite well.

"Alexandra, Lord Elrond and the wizard are looking for you."

Lexi quirked her brow in surprise. "Do you know why?"

Ainleyn kept her face neutral. "Of course I do. Lord Elrond and the wizard tell me _everything_ they discuss. Why wouldn't they?"

And there is was.

Lexi laughed, closed her books and followed Ainleyn out of the room.

"Thank you for joining us Alexandra." Elrond indicated the empty arm chair for her to seat herself. He spoke in Westron. Lexi knew it was for her benefit to practice.

"Thank you for asking, my Lord." Lexi couldn't remember the word for 'inviting' right then.

"I want to remind you Alexandra, our little one, that you always have a place among us, when you need it."

"Thank you, my lord." Lexi smiled with great affection at Elrond. He smiled back.

"Gandalf has requested to speak to you privately. I take my leave of you." He stood up and swept out of the room, leaving Lexi looking curiously at the grey wizard.

Gandalf turned to her. "There are certain prophecies that I follow Alexandra. Right now, the heavens are telling me that it is time for the Line of Durin to retake the throne at Erebor. Part of that prophecy also says that a man that is not of the line of men, will help them. I believe that is in reference to you, my dear."

Lexi followed most of that, though some words were new to her. "Prophecies?" She asked in Westron.

Gandalf looked thoughtful for a moment. "Predictions for the future" he answered in Sindarin.

Lexi nodded thoughtfully. "Line of Durin?"

"A lineage of a royal Dwarven family".

Lexi had read about Dwarves, but hadn't met any yet.

"Erebor?"

"Another name for the Lonely Mountain." He pointed to it on the map that was spread out on the table between them.

Lexi struggled to ask the next question in Westron, using her new vocabulary. "Prophecy refers to man. I not man. Why you think me help with Erebor?"

"I. Why you think I can help with Erebor." Gandalf corrected.

"Most prophecies, over time, were translated and recopied by men. Originals often use 'person' but get changed to men over time." Gandalf looked wryly at Lexi. "It's unfortunate, but part of the ego of men means that they believe important people must all be men. I believe that the original text indicated a 'person' that is not of the line of men." He paused meaningfully and then continued "I believe, it meant you, specifically."

He squinted at her for a moment and then continued. "It is time for you to leave Rivendell, Alexandra."

Lexi's eyes welled but she nodded. "I be sad to leave, but if you think better to do, I will."

Gandalf arose. "We leave tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Shire**

By the time they reached the Shire, Lexi's Westron had become quite polished. Two months of walking with a very patient Gandalf for company had honed her skills considerably. Gandalf said her accent was still strange, which always invited probing questions about here origins, but that flaw was unlikely to correct itself anytime soon.

She had carried on an evening's conversation with a man in the Bree Tavern where they had stayed the night. That was, until he had a bit too much to drink and started to get a little handsy. Gandalf complimented her later her range of insults and curses.

After crossing through a picturesque hamlet of sorts, Gandalf approached a structure that was set into a hill. Lexi had never seen anything quite like it. It looked like a house front, but in a hill, like a rabbit burrow.

Sitting outside was a handsome hobbit who wished them "Good morning."

At this prompting, Gandalf proceeded to somewhat verbally torture the increasing uncomfortable hobbit about his exact meaning of 'Good morning'. It seemed unlike Gandalf who could be prickly, but seldom rude.

Lexi felt bad for the hobbit but knew better than interrupt Gandalf to rescue him. Gandalf was fishing for something.

Finally, when poor Bilbo had almost made it into the house, Gandalf relented and asked him if she could be his houseguest for a few weeks as she knew no one in the area and could not continue with the wizard as his journey was going to be perilous for the next while.

Ever the gentleman, and possibly to get rid of the wizard as quickly as possible, Bilbo immediately invited her in with one last remonstrance towards Gandalf about "No adventures wanted, thank you very much!"

After closing the door on the wizard, while Bilbo and Lexi were sizing each other up in the vestibule, they heard a strange scratching on the door. Bilbo flew to the window, gasped, jumped back and fled to the other room to watch Gandalf disappear down the path.

* * *

Gandalf had departed about 3 weeks previously.

Lexi was very happy at the Shire. Bilbo, she adored. He was warm, friendly, funny and fed her constantly.

Bilbo had spent a few days living in terror of the wizard reappearing suddenly and enlisting him on a 'dreadful adventure', but as time passed, he calmed. Lexi assured him that the only adventures in the future were hers and hers alone.

Bilbo was the ultimate host. He gave her his mother's room for her use and made sure she had every little luxury that was available. She repaid him by taking over the housework and helping him organize and sort some of the rooms he didn't use much anymore.

They passed the time gardening, reading, taking strolls throughout the shire, talking and eating. She could talk a great deal. He could eat a great deal. She often talked to him while he was eating. They were well matched.

Lexi was a little worried about what his neighbours might think, since she had, more or less, moved in with the hobbit for the time being. Bilbo said the neighbours always talked about him anyways, what with Gandalf's visit and his penchant for taking interest in events in the wider world around them. Bilbo had a robust library of histories of hobbit, elves and men. He said he had the best library in Hobbiton, because most of the others didn't care to know about the histories of others, or even themselves. He seemed to like the elves in particular. Lexi could relate.

Occasionally, if Lexi felt that Bilbo needed some alone time in his own home, she would wander down to the local pub for a drink. At first the other hobbits left her alone but after the third or fourth visit, a few sat with her for some conversations. Hobbits were not a terribly curious race, so after a few questions about where she came from (Rivendell), why she was staying with Bilbo (waiting for Gandalf's return) and where was her family (her family was far away), they generally lapsed into discussing the height of the corn, the quantity of carrots in this year's crop and weather it would rain the next day. Lexi found it peaceful to listen to them.

Lexi was not a tall woman. At 5 feet, she was definitively short among her peers in Toronto. In Rivendell, one of her affectionate endearments was 'little one'. However, in the Shire she was tall. She towered about a foot over even the tallest of hobbits. She had often wondered what it would be like to move through the world as a 6-foot-tall, supermodel height woman. It was great. As a 'short' woman, she often felt invisible. People, colleagues even, would sometimes pat her head, as if she were a child. It was infuriating. Now she stood out, was noticed, everywhere she went in the shire. Lexi didn't mind that.

One night, she stayed out later than usual at the pub. She had gotten the feeling that Bilbo needed a bit of space, so she betook herself down to the pub for dinner and a drink. She had forgotten that it was the first night of the harvest festival, so it was busier than usual. Cecil Hornfoot had gotten up some dicing games and Lexi, ever curious, had learned the games and started betting on them. She was having so much fun that she stayed out later than normal. When the crowd started thinning out, she realized it was quite late. She's also lost all the money she'd brought which endeared her to Cecil Hornfoot.

As she headed up the hill, Lexi saw that the Burrow was ablaze with lights. Highly unusual for this time of night. Lexi picked up the pace going up hill, worried that something was amiss with Bilbo.

Panting slightly, she opened the round door and stepped inside.

Chaos.


	5. Chapter 5

**Love at First Sight**

Plates, cups, forks whizzed past her nose, thrown around by a small mob of hobbits. Heavily armed hobbits. Really hairy hobbits? Singing hobbits?

Lexi smushed herself against the wall and slowly worked her way inwards, looking for Bilbo.

She found him looking aghast in the hallway, as his beloved mother's china bounced off various body parts of strangers.

"Bilbo!"

"Alexandra! I've been overrun by dwarves!" He hurried towards her, skidding to a stop in front of her with an outraged expression. "They've eaten everything in the pantry, they've ruined the plumbing and now this!" He gestured at the flying crockery.

Dwarves! As Lexi tentatively took a step forward to survey the group, Bilbo ran off towards the dining room, which seemed to be the final destination of the flying dishes.

Just as the singing ended and Lexi thought it might be safe to join Bilbo, a blond dwarf, with a dual braided beard, rounded the corner and locked eyes with her.

Lexi stopped breathing. She could've sworn so did he.

"Amrâlimê" he whispered. Lexi didn't know the word.

"Fíli!" "Alexandra!" The moment was broken by simultaneous calls from the dining room.

They both moved laterally towards the dining room. Fíli through the living room and kitchen. Lexi down the hallway. Once she reached the doorway, she looked to see him enter through the side. They locked eyes again. Lexi stopped breathing again.

"Alexandra. Alexandra."

Lexi shook her head and turned to smile at Gandalf. "Sorry Gandalf, how rude of me. I didn't expect to have…so much… company when I came I came in. I apologize. How can I serve you?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fíli whispering intently to a young-looking dark hair dwarf.

Just as Gandalf started to speak, the doorbell rang.

A frisson of energy ran throughout the company of dwarves. Bilbo and Lexi looked at each other.

"He is here." Said Gandalf, heading for the door.

"Who?" Lexi mouthed to Bilbo, who looking aggravated, just shrugged in exasperation. The whole company headed for the vestibule.

Gandalf opened the door and a tall, stately, dwarf entered the burrow. The rest of dwarves bowed towards him. Much like Lord Elrond, his nobility was plain to see. Lexi lowered her head in deference. Fíli had somehow ended up beside her. Or she beside him. 'Like a moth to a flame' she thought.

"Thorin Oakenshield." she heard Gandalf say. Lexi was trying to pay attention to what Thorin Oakenshield was saying, what Bilbo was protesting, but all she could feel was him. Standing beside her.

"Now, to the business at hand." Gandalf surveyed the group and led them into the dining room where someone set Thorin a dinner to eat. Lexi sat down in the hallway outside, behind the dining room wall and out of sight of the company and listened to the ensuing conversation of portents, prophecies and dragons. She watched Bilbo linger behind Thorin in the hallway, fretting.

She heard Fíli talk. She couldn't see him, but she knew it was him. His voice was low, warm…sexy? "We may be few in numbers, but we're fighters – all of us, 'til the last one'.

"NO MORE!" Thorin roared, startling Lexi and causing her to shrink down on her seat.

She listened to Thorin's speech about it being the time to reclaim Erebor.

'That man was made to be a king.' She thought; just as inspired as the dwarves who were cheering in the next room.

Gandalf handed Thorin a key.

Fíli's voice again. "If there is a key, there must be a door".

Gandalf explained that the answer was in the map and while he didn't have the skill to decipher it, there were others that did.

"Alexandra." Gandalf called her.

She took a deep breath, stood up and rounded the corner.

"May I introduce Miss Alexandra Archer, expert of languages and cartology. She will be able to decipher the map when the time is right." Gandalf waved his hand towards her; rather vaguely she thought.

"Hello" Lexi all but whispered. They all stared back at her like she had two heads. The young dark haired dwarf looked swiftly at Fíli. Lexi looked at a spot in the middle of the table.

"Absolutely not." Stated Thorin in a steely voice.

She squished herself to the side of the round doorway and took up an examination of her fingernails.

Gandalf seemed to ignore Thorin outright. The wizard continued to outline his plan, stressing the need for stealth and courage, and ergo a burglar.

Bilbo doubled down on his inability to be a burglar. Lexi silently agreed with him. For the first time since she'd know the wizard, she doubted him. After getting to know Bilbo so well, she resented that Gandalf was putting him forward for such a dangerous task. She also started wondering if she was massively out of her own depth. Perhaps she shouldn't have believed Gandalf so readily when he insisted she was the one referred to in the prophecy. She was no warrior. She wasn't even a cartologist. She resented Gandalf for saying she was.

One of the scarier looking dwarves insisted that the quest was no place for 'gentle folk who can't fight or fend for themselves.' She could feel his gaze burning into her. She didn't disagree with him.

Gandalf rose from his seat. He seemed to expand in size and the room itself seemed to momentarily expand. Lexi felt power emanating from him. She took a step back, frightened.

"ENOUGH! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is. Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. And, while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage." He seemed to shrink back to his regular size and self and his tone became testy. "If I say Alexandra is coming, then coming she is. She is necessary and that is all I will say about it. I will not justify her presence to you." Gandalf look up at Lexi and then back to Thorin, whom he continued to berate for his lack of trust.

She knew why he didn't bother to explain about her role in the quest. He was still trying to convince Bilbo to go, and therefore listing out all the reasons. Lexi, however, had committed to seeing this through months ago, in the quiet study in Rivendell. And besides, what attributes could he really give to her? She wasn't courageous or stealthy. Apparently, she could read a map.

Thorin instructed a friendly grey-haired dwarf to hand over contracts to both herself and Bilbo. Lexi signed hers immediately, without reading it and handed it back. She was going no matter what and didn't much care what the terms were.

Bilbo, being the hobbit he was, wandered into the hallway and started reading bits out loud. It did start to sound rather alarming. "Funeral arrangements, evisceration, incineration…".

Thorin leaned close to Gandalf. "I cannot guarantee their safety."

Gandalf, looked slightly uncomfortable. "Understood."

"Nor will I be responsible for their fates."

Gandalf hesitated for a moment. "Agreed."

Thorin arose and turned to look at Bilbo, catching Lexi's eyes in the process. She looked away, unable to hold his gaze. He thought she would be a burden. She was fairly certain he was correct.

Bilbo fainted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Life among Heroes**

Lexi quite liked her pony.

"Here's Bertha for you" had said Dori kindly, handing her the leads.

Bertha was white with brown spots with a unique white haired tail and brown mane. Lexi though she was beautiful.

Having only ridden a few times in Rivendell and then only for pleasure, Lexi was struggling to attach her pack in an efficient manner. She kept giving sidelong glances to the other ponies around her to see how they were kitted out.

"Let me help you with that." Lexi jumped and looked to her left. There was the young dark-haired dwarf.

He bowed "Kíli at your service."

"Thank you Kíli" Lexi gestured at her pack, "I attached it here and here, but it still doesn't feel quite stable."

"See, if you crossed it over here," he unhooked one cross band and stretched it over to another part of the saddle, "and put that over there," he re-hooked the other strap, "then nothing will loosen it."

He grinned at her. She grinned back. "Thanks again."

Kíli nodded over his shoulder, "May I introduce you to my brother, Fíli."

Lexi's breath hitched as the golden-haired Fíli bowed 'Fíli at your service Miss Alexandra.'

Lexi tried to smile normally. She was sure she looked strange. "Please, my friends call me Lexi."

"Lexi." Fíli tried it out. It sounded wonderful. "An unusual name to go with your unusual accent."

"Mount up! It is time to depart." Thorin called from the head of the group.

Lexi turned to climb onto her pony to find Fíli offering an assisting hand up. She took it.

Once they all got the ponies lined up in the same direction, they headed out.

Lexi looked back at the burrow already lonely for Bilbo. After Gandalf and herself had gotten him into his room and back to consciousness, Gandalf had spent a great deal of time trying to convince Bilbo to give up his comforts and routines and join them. Bilbo rejected the idea time and time again, until Gandalf finally gave up and left them alone together.

"Lexi, I just can't. It's not for me. I'm not meant to go on adventures." Bilbo looked at her pleadingly.

"I understand Bilbo. I think you're wise. It seems like it might be terribly dangerous and not a little bit uncomfortable."

Bilbo examined Lexi's face. "You don't have to go, you know. You can have a home here with me for as long as you want."

Lexi pondered that for a while. She and Bilbo sat companionably, like they often did, watching the fire burn, crackle, transform.

"I never told you where I came from Bilbo, not really. And I'm not going to burden you with the story now. But Gandalf believes I have a role to play in this quest, and I...", she sighed, "I must believe that too, or else none of it makes sense to me."

She glanced at Bilbo, who was looking at her with a perplexed expression.

"I'm going Bilbo. Thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for being such a great friend. I will miss you. I hope we will meet again one day." Lexi leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good-bye Bilbo."

Bilbo wordlessly stood up and hugged her.

Lexi left the room to get what little sleep was left to her that night.

* * *

Lexi found herself surround by the youngest members of the dwarf company, who were all apparently curious about their only female companion. She was glad about that. Some of the older dwarves looked less than friendly.

"Where were you born?" Ori asked. "Your accent is strange"

"A foreign land, very far away." Lexi answered. "I only learned Westron recently."

"What language did you speak in your homeland?" Kíli wondered.

"Umm, it's called English." Lexi was beginning to feel a little hesitant about where this line of questioning was headed.

"Ing-lish…" While Ori seemed to ponder that, Fíli caught her attention.

"Is your family near here? Or are they in your homeland far away?"

Lexi was surprised at the lump that formed in her throat. She had thought that she was past the worst of the feelings thinking about her family evoked. She cleared her throat a few times to clear the lump.

"They, uh, they…umm." She hemmed. Finally, she decided it was best to be blunt. "I am alone. I no longer have my parents, brothers or sister."

"I'm sorry." Fíli's brows were knitted.

"It's fine. You couldn't know." She answered, giving him a small smile; glad that he was talking to her. Wanting him to continue.

"Wait! WAIT!" shouting in the distance.

Lexi wheeled her horse around. "Bilbo!" she cried happily as he panted his way up to Balin.

"I signed it!" he gasped, handing over his contract.

"Get him a pony." Instructed Thorin and they were off again.

* * *

Lexi laid in her bedroll, staring at the night skies, tracing out the constellations. Unused to sleeping outside and anxious about the quest in general, Lexi was impressed that most of the other dwarves appeared to have no problem sleeping on the extremely cold and hard ground. Sleeping and snoring! She was freezing and wide awake.

She saw Bilbo arise from his bedroll and wander around the campsite, paying a visit to the ponies. A screech arose in the distance. Bilbo spun around.

"What is that?" His whispered loudly.

"Orcs." Answered Kíli.

"Throat cutters." Answered Fíli.

Lexi felt fear enter her, terrified at the thought of orcs and getting her throat cut.

The brothers continued with their terrible descriptions of orc defilement until Thorin cut them off.

"You think that's funny?" Thorin berated them.

They both had the decency to look ashamed for trying to scare the hobbit.

Balin stepped in to explain to the brothers why Thorin was annoyed with them. Lexi sat up in her bedroll, to better see Balin's face as he told the terrible tale of the battle of Azanulbizar. It was a horrifying re-telling of a battle where countless dwarves lost their lives and Thorin had lost almost everyone important to him.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as Balin recounted Thorin's grandfather being beheaded, his father missing. He described the fight that left Thorin with only an oak branch in his defense and his final triumphant maiming of the hideous Azog the Defiler.

She saw Fíli watching her as she watched Balin.

As Balin wound up his story about the greatness of the young prince, the rest of the dwarven company rose to their feet to honour Thorin. She rose too, humbled to be in the company of warriors who had survived so much; and especially honoured to be in the company of their great leader.

Thorin walked back to his spot and settled.

The rest of the dwarves went back to sleep.

Lexie climbed back into her bedroll and continued to shiver.

Fíli loomed over her. "You look cold." He knelt and put a hand to her cheek.

Lexi turned her head into it.

Fíli frowned. "You are cold as snow. Come over to the fire with us."

As she crawled tiredly out of her bedroll, he gathered it up for her. She was wearing most of the clothes she owned.

She trailed him around the slumbering dwarves and watched as he reseated himself and tucked her bedroll down between himself and Kíli. Head towards him, feet towards Kíli.

He patted it when done. "Climb in." He handed her over his legs and she crawled down into the bedroll. She could feel the heat of the fire on her face.

"Better?" He asked.

"Much." She agreed sleepily, trying to find a softer spot to rest her head.

"Here." He hauled her towards him, resting her head on his leg. He draped an arm down around her shoulder.

"Ahhh." She smiled with her eyes already closed. Exhausted and beginning to drift.

"Goodnight Amrâlimê." She heard him whisper as she slipped away into dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Epic Love Story Begins**

Lexi opened her eyes to find her head still pillowed on Fíli's leg, his arm draped loosely over her while he slept propped up against the stone alcove. Kíli dozed against the wall near her feet.

Lexi took the moment to do a thorough inventory of both her feelings and his face.

Lexi had feelings for this dwarf, that was undeniable. Best described as raw sort of attraction, if she was being honest. What else could it be? She barely knew him. It was so different to what she'd experienced before. She'd been physically attracted to people. She'd been intellectually attracted to people. She'd had attraction grow slowly, over time, as she grew to know people's kindness, humour and wit. What she had no experience with was this sort of all-encompassing, all consuming attraction. She wanted to learn everything about him. She wanted him to tell her everything about his life to this point. She wanted to watch him train with his weapons, joke with his brother, gather wood for the fire. She wanted to watch him live his life. Now and for always. She wanted to live it with him. It was weird.

She also wanted to crawl into his lap, straddle him and kiss him until they couldn't breathe.

Lexi puffed out a small breath. Time to haul in her thoughts a bit.

She examined his face.

It was a handsome face. Short beard but a long moustache with beaded ends. The sides of his hair held a couple of braids each side, ending with the same bead pattern. Lexi wondered about those beads and their significance. She glanced at Kíli, who didn't seem to have any, and back to Fíli who had several. Were they personally significant? Culturally significant? Most of the other dwarves seem to have some. Her eyes travelled up to his wavy long blond hair, framing his face. Strong nose. Unremarkable mouth.

His eyes opened. They stared at each other for a moment.

Then he leaned over and kissed her.

She kissed him back with everything she was worth.

It was like the universe exploded. She saw stars, or maybe she felts stars, or maybe she heard stars. She had never felt anything as good as his mouth on hers.

He broke the kiss and sat back. Her hand dropped from his face (when did it get _there_?). His hand remained on hers (when did _it_ get there?).

He looked slightly breathless. She was sure she looked like she'd been hit by a truck.

She took back the thought about an unremarkable mouth.

His thumb stroked her cheek.

"We will talk." His voice was wonderful. She swore she could feel her pupils dilating even further.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

Sitting up, she wriggled out of her bedroll, rolled it up and headed towards Bertha with it.

She attached it and rummaged in her pack for her mug and bowl that she'd need for breakfast.

She looked back towards Fíli and Kíli whose heads were bent together in what looked to be another intense conversation. They both looked up at her.

Fíli looked calm, like he was at peace with some decision he'd made. He smiled at her. She could feel an unstoppable smile start on her lips and realized she felt at peace too, maybe for the first time ever.

Kíli's eyes twinkled.

* * *

On that day's ride, Lexi spend most of her time talking to Bilbo, Bofur and Òin.

Bilbo needed a friend to fret to after hearing the orcs the night before. He explained that he always knew orcs were real, obviously, but he had never expected to see any first hand. Lexi sympathized. She knew what it was like to live in peace and for death and violence to be an abstract concept, until it wasn't. She let him talk about it until it seemed he'd come to terms that they might see and orc eventually. After that, he seemed to turn inwards and Lexi knew it was time to leave him to his own thoughts for a bit.

Bofur she found to be cheery and fun to talk to. She was also interested, through him, in his brother Bifur. Apparently, Bifur only spoke Khuzdul, the dwarven tongue. Lexi, of course, was interested in learning it and so took to asking Bofur to translate what Bifur had just said to develop a frame of reference. She tried asking Bofur about individual words, like she had a Revendell learning Sindarin, but he would just change the topic. He didn't seem interested in helping her learn it further. So she decided to keep learning it by simply asking him to translate what Bifur was saying. She already picked up a few phrases.

She thought it would be a nice surprise for Fíli if she just started talking in Khuzdul one day.

With Òin, she discussed healing. Many of the treatments they discussed were similar, but he did know some herbs and procedures that she did not and she knew some that were new to him. If either saw some useful foliage in their travels, they would investigate together and discuss the properties and uses and gather if needed. Lexi would never be a great warrior, but she could assist with healing arts if needed.

She avoided Thorin as much as possible. She found him intimidating. It didn't help that if he did happen to look her way, he seemed annoyed at her presence.

She couldn't blame him.

Even though Gandalf had insisted her company was vital, she didn't feel like she really had all that much to contribute. At least from Thorin's viewpoint. The promise that she might read a map for him one day, didn't really seem all that impressive. So, she just avoided him.

She had noticed that he seemed somewhat partial to Fíli and Kíli and wondered about it. Maybe it was because they were younger than the others. She wondered what he would think of the relationship that had roared to life between herself and Fíli. Maybe he wouldn't care or notice at all. After all, her had much bigger priorities.

Lexi was still figuring out the familial relationships between the dwarves. She started to associate the similar naming to family groups, but was still working all the different families out.

Over the course of the day, Lexi noticed that Fíli was never far away. When she moved up to talk to the next dwarf, Fíli moved up as well. If she dropped back, he'd move back. He wasn't right beside her, but he was always in proximity. She liked that.

* * *

When Thorin called camp for the night, he also assigned duties to all the dwarves. No one would ever dare to try to assign the wizard a task, so Gandalf did as he pleased. Thorin ignored Lexi and Bilbo, so they generally pitched in where they could and often one of the dwarves would ask for their help. Lexi thought it was more out of pity than needing them, but she'd take what she could get.

That night, Thorin tasked Fíli and Kíli to stock up on firewood for the night. Bombur had enough to start cooking, but as the nights continued to get cooler, they needed enough to last throughout the night. Lexi was very dutiful in helping to stock firewood. She'd come to learn that dwarves and hobbits were used to a cooler climate and while they were generally comfortable, she was always very cold. She didn't like being cold.

Fíli gestured for Lexi to follow them into the woods. She stretched and then traipsed after them. After a few minutes, the brothers stopped and Lexi caught up to them.

Kíli smiled at her and then his brother. "I'm going to go off, over there," he waved vaguely off to his right, "to gather the firewood. I'll meet you back at the campsite." He clapped Fíli on the back and then, astonishingly to Lexi, leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then he strolled off.

Lexi and Fíli watched him go for a few seconds, and then Fíli picked up her hand and led her towards a fallen log. Impulsively, Lexi brought Fíli's hand to her lips and kissed it. It just felt right.

He turned and looked at her.

She blushed.

He chuckled low in his throat and Lexi thought that there was no more beautiful sound.

Fíli sat down, straddling the log. Lexi did the same, facing him and close enough so their knees would touch. Fíli picked up both her hands and held them in his.

"Alexandra Archer, from a far-away foreign land, lost daughter, lost sister," he started out "All dwarves are born missing half their soul. Because of that, dwarves spend their lives filling their missing half with their passions. Great warriors with many battles will die with a whole soul. Smiths who create masterpieces from the fruits of the earth will die with a whole soul. A fulfilled soul is called an 'Âlimê'. It's what every dwarf aspires to. This is why our home is so important to us, because it is hard to achieve Âlimê when you are outcasts and wanderers." He paused.

'This is fascinating'. Thought Lexi, enthralled with the romance of the idea.

Fíli released one of her hands and cupped her face. "The rarest, and most precious form of Âlimê though, is when you find another…" He hesitated here, searching for the right word. "…person, who is the physical form of Âlimê. Your Amrâlimê. Your other half. Together, forever, you are whole."

Lexi drew a deep breath, trying to reconcile the feelings she was having with the word Fíli was saying to her.

Fíli brought up his other hand to cup the other side of her face, staring deeply into her eyes.

"You are my Amrâlimê."

Lexi's brain went into overdrive. Several thoughts fought for precedence.

Was she dreaming? No!

How could this be possible when she wasn't a Dwarrowdam? Her mind left that one alone.

Did she feel that way? How could she? She barely knew him.

He was a dwarf. She was man. He was a warrior. She was a scholar. He belonged to people who lived inside mountains. Deep inside. She lived outside, her whole life.

Dwarves would never accept her. They'd be like Thorin who obviously thought she was worthless.

What would Bilbo think? What would Gandalf say? Lord Elrond had always say she could go back to Rivendell. What would he think of this?

It was impossible. It was...

"Yes." She whispered.

Because it was true.

She felt it the truth of it throughout every fibre of her being. She was complete in a way with him that she was never before and would never be without him.

Lexi didn't know how it was true, just that is was.

Fíli leaned in an rested his forehead against hers. Lexi let out a deep breath and then started to laugh and cry. She was so happy.

Fíli leaned back, and looked somewhat amused at her cross purposes reaction.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She laugh/cried. "I'm just so, relieved." Relieved!? Did she just say that?

He produced a bead between his fingers. It matched the ones on his beard and braids.

"To make it official, may I braid this into your hair? It tells all who see it that we are one soul combined. That you are my Amrâlimê, and I am yours."

Lexi nodded. Wiping away her tears, she got up and turned around so her back was to him.

He produced a brush from somewhere on his person and began to unbraid her current style and comb it out.

As he worked, he started to drop featherweight kisses around her neck. She felt like she was pooling into liquid. He captured a section of her hair and slowly started braiding it down, finally attaching his bead on the end.

It was done. She was his and he was hers. Amrâlimê.

Fíli climbed off the log and then helped her off. He stood in front of her and fingered the bead in her hair.

And then he kissed her.

It was a sweet kiss. Soft and lingering.

Lexi responded in kind.

Then the kiss turned hungry, harder and more passionate. His hand flowed through her hair.

Lexi responded in kind.

She could do this forever.

Finally, they broke apart, panting. Aroused.

He took her hand and they headed back towards camp.

Lexi was a little nervous about the company noticing her hair. Bilbo and Gandalf might not grasp the significance, but she was sure the dwarves would. It was still sinking in, the magnitude of what she'd done. She'd pledged her life to Fíli; and his to her. She had no doubts, it was the right thing, the only thing, she could've done. The only thing she wanted to do.

But she was still nervous.

She took courage from Fíli, who walked with complete and utter self-assurance back into the camp.

As they reached area where the most of the company had gathered, the scene before them unfolded like a strange real-world diorama.

All the dwarves, almost in unison, turned to look at them. Most of their faces were studiously neutral.

Bofur's eyes had a friendly glint, as did Bifur's and Bombur's.

Ori looked scared.

Dwalin looked angry.

Bilbo looked confused.

Gandalf sat smoking his pipe, looking like he didn't even know or care what was going on.

Lexi snuck a look at Fíli. He surveyed the camp and he looked…proud. He looked back at her and smiled. A normal, everyday, smile. She took courage from that.

They both looked to Kíli, who was standing next to Thorin.

Kíli was not smiling and Thorin's face looked thunderous.

"Nephew! What have you done?"

Lexi's eyes went wide and her heart skipped a beat. Her head whipped towards Fíli. A single statement fell from her stunned lips.

"Nephew!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Accidental Nobility**

Fíli and Thorin were nose to nose. Arguing back and forth in Khazdul. Fíli's tone was firm but calm and respectful. Thorin's was terrifying.

Kíli and Lexi sat nearby. Lexi was trying to pick out what she could of the conversation. Kíli had his arm around her shoulder. She was thankful that he was there.

When she and Fíli had approached Thorin, Lexi still in a relative state of shock, Thorin had pointed to Kíli and ordered him "AWAY!"

But instead, Kíli had extracted Lexi from Fíli's grip, put his arm around her, led her out of Thorin's direct line of sight and sat her down.

Lexi gave up on trying to follow what the two dwarves were saying. She turned to Kíli instead. "I didn't know."

Kíli pondered that for a moment. "I suppose no one mentioned it."

"I still don't understand. Your names are so dissimilar."

"Well, he's our uncle you see, so the naming isn't necessarily similar…". Kíli trailed off as Thorin spun around and walked away from the lot of them for a moment.

Fíli gave her a quick smile over his shoulder. Lexi tried to smile back, but she just couldn't quite get her mouth to work.

Thorin wheeled back around and was nose to nose with Fíli again.

"Thorin thinks I knew. He thinks I've tricked Fíli." She'd picked up enough of the argument to get the very general gist of it. "He thinks I only love him because he is a …" she choked on it a bit, "…prince. The…heir…to Erebor." Her mind reeled that this was who she had indeed just pledged her life to.

"No!" Kíli lied. "No, no no. He doesn't think that at all."

Lexi gave Kíli an exasperated look.

"Besides, it doesn't matter what uncle thinks. He's just surprised." Kíli reasoned.

"How can you say, 'it doesn't matter', Kíli. Thorin is the king. It matters." Lexi hadn't meant to be sharp with him, but she was stressed.

"Because you are his Amrâlimê." Kíli looked at her a bit wonderingly. "Nothing can stand in the way of that."

"Not even a king?"

"Not even a king" Kíli confirmed, looking a bit surprised she'd asked.

Thorin and Fíli had lapsed into some sort of staring contest. Lexi decided to seize the moment with a peace offering. She shrugged off Kíli's arm and stood up, catching Thorin's eye.

"Dorak Khazyam" she said, having picked up the Khuzdul equivalent of 'I'm sorry' from Bifur earlier in the week.

There was a pause, and then all hell broke loose.

It was like she'd thrown a bomb.

Thorin looked murderously at Fíli.

Fíli looked at her in shock.

Kíli yanked her back onto the ground, aggressively asking, "Where did you learn that? Who taught you that?"

The rest of the dwarves started speaking clamorously amongst each other and looking angrily at her and Fíli.

Lexi was completely aghast at what her apology had wrought.

Thorin stomped over to her, grabbed her upper arm and yanked her back up off the ground. She was beginning to feel like a jack-in-the-box.

He gave her a little shake, his face dark, and demanded "Who taught you to say that? WHO?"

Lexi thought she might be less terrified if an orc took his place right then and there. He shook her again, like it might shake an answer out of her. It did.

"No one!" She gasped. "No one taught me. I've just been listening. To you, to Bifur…to all of you. I just…figured it out. It's what I do." Her voice was shaky. "I learn language, it's what I'm good at...it's not so hard when you hear it… around you…you all speak it…sometimes…to Bifur…I just started to listen…and figuring it out…I didn't think anyone would mind…I just started listening…" She was babbling now.

Fíli took one look at her dumbfounded face and stepped gently between herself and Thorin, forcing them both back a step.

"Let go uncle." He said mildly, putting his hand over Thorin's and gently prying it off Lexi's arm.

He then tucked her away behind him, out of Thorin's sight. Lexi rested her forehead on his back and closed her eyes. Trying to calm down. Trying to understand what just happened.

* * *

Fíli led her over to where Bilbo was and gestured for her to sit down. Bilbo was eating his dinner. Lexi noticed most of the company had their bowls nearby them. She guessed they started dinner when she and Fíli were out in the woods. Then she wondered why she was thinking about dinner and when it happened. Was she losing her mind?

Bilbo cleared his throat and looked at her. She waited. He looked back down at his bowl.

Fíli sat down next to her and handed over her bowl, filled with one of Bombur's savoury stews. He started eating out of his own. Kíli sat down on the other side of him and started shovelling stew into his mouth. Lexi just stared at an onion floating at the top of her stew.

Her mind was like a bag of cats and her emotions were frayed. It was like she was on emotional tilt-a-whirl. Love, happiness – switch – fear, terror – switch. In the midst of all the chaos, her mind chose to focus on the fact that no one here would even understand the reference. Not one person on the planet knew what a tilt-a-whirl even was. Not. One. Person.

She needed some alone time.

She took a deep breath and calmly handed her bowl back to Fíli. She forced herself to smile at him, to let him know that she was fine.

"I just…" her voice was still a bit shaky. She cleared her throat and started again, more forcibly this time. "I just need a little time to myself, alright?"

Fíli's face was unreadable. He nodded. Kíli and Bilbo both seemed to find their stews fascinating.

She walked across the campsite, painfully aware they were all watching her, even if they pretended they weren't.

Lexi found Bertha amongst the ponies. She threw her arms around her trusted friend, buried her face in the milk chocolate mane and cried.

* * *

Once she cried herself out, Lexi decided to braid Bertha's mane. She wasn't ready to return to the main campsite and needed something to occupy her so she could ignore the bag of cats that were still fighting in her head. She dug out a length of leather, her knife and proceeded to cut the thong into pieces. Then she braided Bertha's mane. The manual task calmed her.

Finally, she got so cold she had to quit. She was having trouble feeling her fingers and toes.

She headed back to the main campsite, relieved to see that most of the company were sprawled out in bedrolls, snoring.

Dwalin and Gloin were standing watch. She couldn't look at them.

The brothers, the Princes! had pulled a log up near the fire and we're companionably sitting against it. Heads together, talking in low voices, as they always were.

Lexi stopped on the edge of the firelight to watch them.

Fíli turned his head and looked right at her. Of course.

There was no use in hesitating. She couldn't stand there all night.

As she picked her way over to them, Fíli indicated for her to sit down in front of him. She did.

He pulled her back into his chest and wrapped his cloak around both of them, to warm her. He gripped her hands.

"They're like ice." He said.

She shrugged. They were.

He rubbed them slowly to warm them up.

All three watched the fire.

'What happened?" She almost startled herself with the sound of her voice.

Fíli's voice floated out beside her ear. "Khuzdul is our most sacred language. It is only known to the dwarves, it is only spoken by the dwarves. It is against the law to teach it to non-dwarves. Traditionally, it isn't even to be spoken around non-dwarves, though sometimes we bend the rules." He paused. "Neither of us even remember ever hearing about any non-dwarf attempting to speak it." He sighed. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known. We were all just very…surprised…when you spoke."

"Very surprised." Kíli reiterated.

"Okay." She nodded her head thoughtfully. "All right. I'll stop trying to learn it. And I'll apologize to everyone tomorrow. Properly."

"There's no need, my love, they know you meant no offence."

She felt a frisson of delight at his 'my love'.

"I meant just the opposite. I was trying to impress Thorin. And you." She shook her head. "That really didn't work out how I planned." She sighed.

"Put it behind you, my love, and get some sleep."

Lexi snuck a glance over at Kíli to see what he thought of this conversation. He winked at her.

It was so unexpected, she involuntarily giggled. Kíli looked pleased.

Fíli let go of her mostly warm hands and encircled her body with his arms, pulling her snugly back against him.

She rested her head back on his chest. She felt his chin nestle on the top of her hair.

She slept.


	9. Chapter 9

**Don't feed the Trolls**

The next morning as the company was preparing to break camp, Lexi went around to each of the dwarves and apologized for the previous night.

Most took it well and told her not to mind.

A few looked at her a little stony-faced.

Dwalin told her outright that she had no business being on the quest at all.

Ori asked if she would teach him about learning a new language. He had an interest in English.

Kíli asked her to apologize to him in Khuzdul. That earned him a glare from both herself in Fíli.

Fíli listened to her patiently and then drew her into an embrace she was loathe to break free from.

Finally, there was only Thorin left.

She wondered if she just skipped him, if anyone, including himself would notice. However, she knew that it was no good acting cowardly; she wanted to be brave.

She approached Thorin as he was attaching his pack to his pony.

"Ahh, your majesty. A moment?"

Thorin paused, tightened one more strap and then turned to look at her.

She seized the moment to speak. Keeping her gaze somewhere around his beard, she began, "I just, ah, wanted to say, um, how sorry I am that I spoke Khazdul to you. I, ah, will never, um, do it again."

Thorin sighed and Lexi worked up the courage to look him in the eye.

"You are the Amrâlimê of my nephew. That means you are my niece." He reached out and placed a hand on her head, like a benediction. "Alexandra, welcome to the line of Durin." He dropped his hand, turned around and mounted his pony. "Let's move out."

Lexi hurried back to where Bertha was waiting. She might have shed a few tears of relief along the way.

"Why does your pony have braids?" asked Kíli, looking puzzled at Bertha's mane.

Lexi, nerves strung taught from her conversation with Thorin, began to laugh uncontrollable.

She was sure a few of the dwarves wondered if she was starting to lose her mind.

* * *

What followed next was what Lexi later called the 'honeymoon' period for herself and Fíli. They might have been constantly surround by a company of loud, smelly and often disgusting dwarves, but they also had the heady start to what Lexi also later called 'their epic love story'.

They had many months of travel ahead and so they had lots of time to learn about each other.

During the days, Kíli, Fíli and Lexi often rode together and the brothers regaled her of their childhood pranks and stories. Kíli did most of the talking. Fíli was the quieter of the two, which made the times he did speak up more precious to her. She learned about their mother Dís and figured out on her own that the Dwarrowdam must have the patience of a saint while rearing the two of them. They talked of the Blue Mountains, of their excitement and awe when their uncle Thorin came to visit. They talked of weapons training which sounded very exciting.

She and Kíli would sometimes have archery competitions while riding; picking an object ahead to shoot and then gathering up the arrows when they passed. The brothers said they were impressed with her skill. She knew she wasn't as good as Kíli, but she was proud that she could hold her own.

At night, they took to training her and Bilbo with sword, dagger and axe. Both Bilbo and Lexi learned slowly, having no muscle memory to call on. It was all new to them. After a time, most of the company took an interest in their evening sparring and took a turn at training them. After all, there wasn't much else to do. The result was a bit of a mish-mash of style, but no one could deny that Lexi and Bilbo were improving with time. Bilbo and Lexi also enjoyed sparring with each other, though the dwarves often accused them of hold back and not taking it seriously enough. Which was probably accurate.

Kíli, Fíli and Lexi's primary campsite tasks were watching the ponies, gathering wood and sometimes Lexi would assist Bombur with dinner preparation. Fíli and Lexi's favourite task was gathering wood. Once they had gathered enough to keep a fire throughout the night, Fíli and Lexi would head out for 'one last collection'. Kíli would tactfully stay behind and join the company, who had collectively and tacitly agreed not to notice that the young couple would disappear into the woods for much longer than necessary. Often, they arrived back to the campsite much later, without any sticks and distinctly rumpled appearances.

Fíli wryly stated that he'd never pictured himself 'courting' in the dark and cold woods with a company of dwarves hard by. It did limit their physical intimacy. Lexi was, unfortunately, easily chilled and for safety, they daren't go too far from camp. Lexi joked that while they were travelling, they'd never make it past the short stop. Fíli didn't understand the reference, even after she tried to explain it, but it always made her laugh at herself when she said it, and that made him laugh, so she kept saying it. Despite all that, they still managed to get into some epic kissing sessions accompanied by some over the clothing action.

One day, about three weeks in, it started to rain and rain and rain. About halfway through the day, Fíli caught Lexi shivering uncontrollably under her cloak. He pulled their ponies off to the side and helped her off Bertha. He redistributed his packs onto her pony and then lifted her up onto his pony, Mungo. He climbed up behind her and wrapped his cloak around both of them and set off again, leading Bertha. Lexi warmed up enough to stop shivering and even to doze a bit against his chest.

She felt safe, warm and loved.

* * *

"We'll camp here for the night." Thorin announced, pulling up his pony. "Fíli, Kíli, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them." Thorin instructed. "Óin, Gloin, get a fire going. Bombur, Alexandra, get dinner started."

Gandalf was displeased with Thorin's choice for camp. "A farmer and his family used to live here. I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the hidden valley."

As Gandalf and Thorin started to bicker about the next leg of their journey, Lexi helped Bilbo get his pack off his pony.

Suddenly Gandalf stormed past, muttering about spending some time around the only person who made any sense, himself. "I've had enough of dwarves for one day."

Lexi and Bilbo looked at each other. "Is he coming back?" Bilbo asked Balin, who was next to him. Balin didn't look too hopeful about the wizards return.

"I'm sure he will." Lexi reassured Bilbo, while not being sure at all. After all, Gandalf did just disappear like that sometimes.

"Come on Bombur, we're hungry." Thorin called out.

Lexi hurried toward Bombur with knife, cutting board and sack of vegetables in tow.

* * *

Bilbo paced the campsite, worried about Gandalf's return. "He's been a long time."

Attempting to distract him, Bofur ladled out two bowls of stew and asked him to 'Take them to the lads'.

Lexi watched Bilbo trundle the two bowls off towards where the brothers had pastured the ponies, and then turned back to where she was heating water for dish washing.

A short time later, Fíli came bursting onto the campsite shouting, "Cave Trolls! They've got Bilbo!"

There was a pregnant pause and then the whole company sprang into motion.

"To arms!" roared Thorin.

The company seized their weapons and rushed after Fíli, who was leading them back into the woods.

Suddenly, Lexi was alone at the campsite.

She looked around and then with a jolt, threw her handful of dirty dishes down, grabbed her bow, quiver and the knife that she'd used to slice up the potatoes and chased after them.

When she arrived at the troll's fireside, a battle was raging. It was chaos. She looked anxiously for Fíli and saw him hacking at a troll nearby. She nocked an arrow and shot at the head of the troll. It bounced off.

"They're thick-skinned creatures!" bellowed Bofur as he ran past her.

Lexi discarded her bow and took up the knife and hesitated. She really wasn't sure diving into the fray was the wisest option.

One of the trolls stumbled back towards her. She seized the moment and tried to hamstring him. The knife broke on his achilles. "Oh for the love of…", she breathed in frustration.

"Bilbo!" called out Kíli and the whole company came to a halt.

The trolls had Bilbo stretched out, quartered, threatening to tear him limb for limb if the company didn't capitulate.

Bilbo looked terrified.

A horrified Lexi looked to Thorin. Thorin stabbed his sword in the ground in submission.

Lexi let out a sigh of relief.

And that is how she ended up tied up in a sack, carelessly tossed on top of some of the dwarves. What was worse was that some of the poor dwarves were tied to the roasting spit, being roasting in front of Lexi's outraged eyes. Thankfully, both Fíli and Kíli were in the pile with her.

The trolls were having a disgusting difference of opinion about how to best eat them. "Squash into jelly." "Perhaps raw." It was an atrocious conversation.

Thankfully Bilbo was thinking fast on his feet. After a misfire of a suggestion that the dwarves be skinned before eating (what was he thinking?), he smartly tried a different tact, suggesting that they were "Infected. Riddled with parasites. It's a nasty business. I wouldn't risk it. I really wouldn't."

"Brilliant!" Thought Lexi, trying to wiggle around to see if the trolls believed him.

"We don't have parasites!" yelled Kíli, obviously outraged at the suggestion, "YOU have parasites."

Lexi elbowed him as hard as she could, just as Thorin booted him. She could practically see the lightbulb come on over Kíli's head.

"I have giant parasites! Mine are the biggest parasites," all the dwarves started describing their collection issues.

Lexi was still trying to work her way around to get a good look at the trolls and Fíli when Gandalf showed up and cracked the hillside, exposing the trolls to sunlight and turning them to stone.

They were saved.


	10. Chapter 10

**Flight of the Wargs with a twist of Lemon**

Lexi sat next to Bilbo on the log and gave him a friendly should bump. "That was some quick thinking, about the parasites."

Bilbo gave her a small smile and then sighed. "I think Thorin is angry with me."

"I think Thorin is angry most of the time." She realized that sounded a little critical and tried to explain the thought further, "He's literally got the weight of all his people on his shoulders…I think that might be hard to be, ummm, cheery about." It didn't come out quite right, but she figured Bilbo knew what she meant.

She saw Gandalf headed towards Bilbo with a purposeful expression on his face, so she headed off to find Fíli.

She was just a few metres from the brothers when they heard a crashing sound in the underbrush.

"Somethings coming," warned Thorin.

"Arm yourselves!" Shouted Gandalf.

Fíli pulled her behind him and unsheathed his sword. Kíli nocked an arrow. Lexi unshouldered her bow and reached for an arrow just as a crazy old man emerged from the underbrush, on a sled pulled by…rabbits?

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" He bellowed.

He headed straight for Gandalf.

Lexi took in his appearance and murmured to Fíli, "Radagast the Brown, I think. Another wizard." Just as Gandalf confirmed it by addressing Radagast by name.

She let her bow arm drop and leaned against the rocky outcropping behind her, feeling drained and exhausted from the lack of sleep, and terrifying ordeal, of the previous night. She wasn't sure how many more surprises she could take.

Fíli parked himself beside her, sword still at the ready. Lexi rested her head on his shoulder.

The wizards went into a huddle at the far end of the clearing. Watching their faces and stances, Lexi could tell that whatever was going on was serious.

Suddenly a howl rent the air. Fíli jumped up, sword at the ready. Fíli and Lexi nocked fresh arrows.

"Is that a wolf?" Bilbo asked in a panic.

"That is not a wolf." Answered Bofur, eyes scanning the area for danger.

A warg sprung from above the company, getting immediately cut down by Bifur and Thorin.

As Thorin was pulling his sword out of the dead warg, another sprang down behind him.

Fíli and Lexi's bows twanged in unison, bringing the warg down and Dwalin and Thorin finished it off with some mighty blows.

"Warg scouts, which means there will be an orc pack not far behind," panted Thorin.

"Orc pack?" said Bilbo with a trace of disbelief.

Gandalf rounded on Thorin. "Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?"

"No one."

"Who did you tell?" Gandalf accused.

"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted," said Gandalf grimly.

Lexi looked in terror at Fíli. He looked grimly back at her.

"We have to get out of here," said Dwalin.

Ori came running down the hill. "We can't, the ponies, they bolted."

Then Radagast, rather foolhardily Lexi thought, offered to draw the wargs off them using himself and the rabbits as bait.

They waited until they heard the barking wargs recede in the distance and then they started to run.

With Gandalf and Thorin leading them, they struck out over the plains. Lexi had no idea where they were headed. She just knew they had to run. And run they did.

With Fíli on her left and Kíli flanking her on her right, they trio ran for all they were worth.

Like an elaborate game of cat and mouse, the warg scouts seemed to be everywhere. Radagast seemed to be everywhere. Frequently, the company was forced to double back and hide amongst the boulders that dotted the plains.

Lexi started to wonder if she was going to make it. After missing a night's sleep and a couple meals, she worried about her endurance.

Fíli yanked her in against a boulder as a rogue warg scout peeled off and started sniffing around on the boulder above them.

Lexi saw Thorin nod at Kíli's bow and she whipped hers off her shoulder nocked an arrow too.

She watched Kíli closely. When she saw him take a deep breath and step out, she stepped out at the same time. Her bow twanged a second after his. The warg rolled down the boulder towards them. Fíli made a grab for her, but she evaded him and both bows twanged again. The warg and orc rider landed a few feet in front of her. This time, Fíli got a good grip and yanked her back against the boulder again.

Bifur and Dwalin hacked at the warg and Kili shot another arrow into the orc. The warg screeched, the orc screamed. It was a racket.

Gandalf scanned the horizon.

Their jig was up.

"Move!" Roared Gandalf.

And they were off again, literally running for their lives. The wargs knew where they were now.

The barking of the wargs got louder. Lexi's muscles were burning and she was gasping for breath. She'd never been so scared.

She prayed that Gandalf had a plan, and that it wasn't to run until they dropped one by one. She'd be one of the first to drop.

Thorin pulled up short, warg and orc rider ahead of him. Lexi skidded to a stop, panting for air, seeing wargs and orcs popping up all around them. She was terrified.

"Kíli, Lexi, shoot them!" Thorin screamed.

As Lexi pulled her bow off her shoulder and reached for an arrow, her mind decided to register the fact that it was the first time Thorin had addressed her as 'Lexi' rather than Alexandra. It's strange where the mind will go when it's consumed by complete and utter panic.

"We're surrounded," called out Fíli in a tense voice, right next to her.

If Lexi had any sense, she should throw down her bow, tackle Fíli and kiss him until a warg or orc killed them both. They were going to die here. Of that she was sure.

Instead, with shaking hands, she nocked arrow after arrow, shooting any orc or warg that came into range.

"Hold your ground!" Roared Thorin as the dwarves formed a loose circle. Their last stand.

Just as Lexi brought down another orc rider, she heard Gandalf bellow behind them, "This way you fools!"

"Come on, move," commanded Thorin, "Quickly, all of you!"

Lexi wheeled around, looking for Fíli. He grabbed her hand and they raced towards a rocky outcropping that the dwarves were rapidly disappearing behind.

Thorin was standing point, protecting their flank as the dwarves dropped behind the rock.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kíli nearby, loosing another arrow at the orc pack. She was drawing her breathe to yell at him when Thorin and Fíli called out to him in unison, "Kíli!" Kíli spun and pounded after them.

When they reached the outcropping, Lexi only had a moment to register that there was a drop into a cave before them. Fíli crushed her to his chest and slid them down to the cave floor. Kíli and Thorin followed immediately behind them.

An elven horn sounded and moments later, an orc rolled down into the cave, slamming into their feet. Lexi and Fíli jumped back. It was the first close-up orc Lexi had really seen. It was hideous. And it was dead.

Thorin yanked out the arrow impaled in its ugly neck. "Elves." He said in a tone of disgust. Though Lexi knew about the animosity that existed between the elves and the house of Durin, she still thought Thorin sounded ungrateful, especially since they had just been saved by the Rivendell elves.

"I canna see where the path leads," growled Dwalin from the rear of the cave. "Do we follow it? Or no?"

"We follow it of course," reasoned Bofur as he wasted no time headed in that direction.

Fíli snagged Kíli's sleeve as he passed them. "We'll be along in a moment."

Kíli nodded, all the usual boyish charm and twinkly eyes erased from his countenance. He looked older than he had the day before.

As Kíli rounded the corner and disappeared, Lexi looked curiously at Fíli, wondering why he'd held them back.

Fíli pushed her gently up against the cave wall and then not-so-gently kissed her.

Over the course of their stolen 'gathering wood' time, Lexi had learned a great deal about Fíli's kisses. His general repertoire consisted of: gentle and lingering kisses, open mouth exploring kisses and her favourite (what she called in her head), his promise-of-more kisses.

THIS kiss however, was something new entirely.

This kiss didn't promise more, it demanded it.

His hands fisted her hair, holding her mouth against his demanding lips. He kissed her long, deep and hard and then switched angles to repeat it. His tongue traced her lips before delving in to explore more deeply.

His hands slid down her back and cupped her bottom, pulling her tightly against his erection.

Lexi moaned into his mouth and she was sure she felt him briefly smile.

He moved down to her neck, sucking and licking.

A blissed-out, moaning Lexi suddenly realized she was being rather passive in this situation. That was unlike her.

The fire pooling in her belly roared to life.

She fisted his blond mane and dragged Fíli's mouth back to hers and poured all her desire into it.

She hooked a leg around his to keep his hard cock pressed tightly against her pelvis.

Fíli's hand slid up her ribcage and started gently squeezing her breasts. He broke the kiss and dipped his head down to bite the nipples through the layers of fabric. Lexi let out a noise, she swore she'd never made in her life before. She could feel liquid dripping out of her vagina in anticipation of his cock entering her.

Desperate to reciprocate the fiery burn he was invoking throughout her, Lexi reached between them, gripped his bulge through his breeches and started enthusiastically stroking.

Fíli froze for a second and then let out a guttural growl that started low in his chest. She'd never heard that noise before, but she'd dedicate a lifetime trying to get him to make it again. It was sexy as hell.

He was on her mouth again and this time, his tongue was delving in and out in an erotic imitation of what was she was doing with her hand. Momentarily overwhelmed by the sensation, Lexi's hand came to a stop.

Fíli took the opportunity to remove her hand up to his chest and then gripped her bottom again, lifting her up, pulling her pelvis into his erection. Lexi wrapped both legs around his waist as they ground into each other. She could feel the friction of his cock on her clit and wondered idly if it was possible to come when fully clothed.

He explored her mouth with his tongue and she met his time and time again.

They began to wind things down.

Even though neither said it out loud, they both knew that this couldn't go any farther than it had. Between the multiple layers of clothing each wore, the fact they were in a cave with a dead orc hard by and sooner than later, someone in the company was going to double back to look for them, it just wasn't going to happen.

Lexi's legs reconnected with ground. She was breathing like she was trying to outrun the orc pack again.

Fíli rested his forehead against hers, taking deep steadying breaths.

After a moment, they stepped apart and started readjusting their rumpled clothing and excited anatomies. Fíli straightened his overcoat on his chest and adjusted his cock in his trousers. Lexi straightened her collars and peeled her damp undergarment out of her vagina.

Fíli hefted his pack and then helped her on with hers.

Once they were set, he leaned over and kissed her once more. This was one of his gentle, lingering kisses.

Fíli broke the kiss and looked at her with intention. "We're going to finish this."

"Absolutely we are." Lexi grinned at him in anticipation.

He took her hand and led her down the path.


	11. Chapter 11

**When you don't love what you wrote but publish it anyways to keep the plot moving **

Fílí and Lexi caught up with rest of the group just as they began their descent towards Rivendell.

Lexi beamed as she looked down towards the last homely house. After the fear and uncertainty of the last couple days, she was excited to be somewhere she knew was safe. She hadn't known they were so close.

Bilbo turned to her with a wondrous look on his face, "I can feel it Lexi, I can feel the magic."

"Magic?" Lexi was surprised. She'd never felt any different whether she was near or away from the valley of Imladris.

"Can't you feel it?" asked Bilbo. "Gandalf can too."

Gandalf turned around and twinkled her. He'd known she'd be pleased about going to Rivendell. As much as he'd known Thorin would not be.

As they approached the steps leading into the house, Lindir descended gracefully to meet them.

They dwarves placed themselves strategically, reacting to Thorin's obvious unease of the situation. Fílí and Kílí closed ranks, essentially hiding her from Lindir's sight.

Lexi decided to be patient and let this interaction play out in whichever direction Thorin chose. Rivendell may be the closest place she had to a permanent home, but she was a member of Thorin's family now and she would do as he commanded. She knew the dwarves weren't fond of elves in general but they probably didn't really know any personally, so once they all spent some time together…

An elven horn shattered the silence.

Elrond came thundering down the causeway with his mounted guard, encircling the company and causing more than a little alarm. The rest of the dwarves closed ranks completely, keeping herself and Bilbo compressed in the middle.

Elrond dismounted and greeted Gandalf in Sindarin before switching to Westron, explaining they'd been out hunting an orc pack that had been drawn to their borders.

"That may have been us." Gandalf admitted.

Elrond survey their group as Thorin stepped forward.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain." He greeted him.

"I do not believe we have met," responded Thorin

"You have your Grandfather's bearing," continued Elrond. "I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain."

"Indeed," answered Thorin in a surly voice, "he made no mention of you."

Tact; not Thorin's strong point apparently.

Elrond sized up Thorin and then issued an invitation in Sindarin to be their guests and eat with them.

"Does he offer us insult?" Bellowed Gloin, stirring up the rest of the dwarves.

"No." Lexi answered, a little exasperated, "He's offering you food."

"Ah well then," answered a pacified Gloin, "lead on".

Lexi refrained from rolling her eyes. Food really was the way to most of these dwarves' hearts.

As the rest of the dwarves started to follow Lindir, Lexi stepped out from behind the brothers and dropped a curtsy, looking up at the stately elven lord. "My Lord Elrond."

Elrond put a hand on her shoulder "Little one, you've returned to us." He fingered the bead in her hair and then looked at the matching ones Fílí wore. "And much has changed."

"Yes." She agreed.

"Come, join us for the feast." Elrond gestured to Fílí and Kílí too. He smiled at her, "Ainleyn will be excited to see you." Elrond swept off down the hall, leaving them to follow.

"You speak Elvish?" hissed Kílí.

Lexi nodded.

"You've 'returned to them'. Fílí's tone was pointed.

"Yes…I lived here for a time before I went to the Shire."

She looked over at Fílí; his face was…shocked? And maybe a bit…angry?

Kílí was the one to break the moment. "Why are we standing around? Didn't you hear? There's food!" He bounded off after Lord Elrond. Typical.

Fílí picked up Lexi's hand and they followed silently behind him.

As they passed the hall leading to personal rooms, Lexi heard a musical voice say, 'This is rather unexpected'.

Lexi dropped Fílí's hand, spun around, ran to her friend and hugged her tightly.

Then she stepped back and grinned at the stately elf maiden, "I missed you!" she said in Sindarin.

Ainleyn regarded her rather coolly, eyes resting on the bead in hair. "We had thought you'd gone off to make your home with the tribes of men." Her eyes gave Fílí' a rather obvious once-over. "You seem to have lost your way."

Was Ainleyn giving her attitude? No, couldn't be. Anyways, where were her manners? "Ainleyn, I'd like you to introduce you to Fílí, my beloved." Lexi proudly fingered the bead in her hair.

"Lexi, how could you? He's a dwarf." Ainleyn's practically spit out the word 'dwarf'.

Lexi's mouth literally dropped open. What…the…hell?

"Ainleyn, he's my soultwin." Lexi honestly thought that statement would automatically clear up any misperceptions the elf might have about Fílí. Elves had their own lore about true love; Lexi and Ainleyn had spent many an hour reading, and sighing, over the epic histories of elven soultwins; a rare and beautiful thing.

Ainleyn just shook her head at Lexi with a disappointed, nay, even maybe disgusted, look. "You can have your old apartment for the duration of your stay here." With that she turned and glided away.

Lexi stared after her. She could feel Fílí's bristle beside her. He didn't need to speak Sindarin to know that Ainleyn had been rude. To both of them.

She'd read the elvish histories, so she knew that elves and dwarves weren't exactly friendly throughout many of the ages. But Ainleyn hadn't even properly acknowledged Fílí. Ainleyn literally knew nothing about him, but was apparently ready to dismiss him outright all the same. Did most of the other elves, her old friends, feel that way? Elrond hadn't seemed to have an issue with the company showing up on his doorstep, so what was Ainleyn's problem?

She certainly knew Thorin had strong feelings about elves, but from what she's gleaned from listening to the others, that was more of an old family grudge, wasn't it? She's never heard exactly why Thorin seemed so angry at the elves though. And as far as she knew, Fílí hadn't even met an elf before today. This interaction certainly wasn't going to warm him up to them.

Once again, she had an overwhelming feeling of incongruence. Rivendell was home for her, or at least the closest she had in Middle Earth, but Fílí was her family now. And it seemed clear to her that these two important facets of her life were not fond of each other. And were not likely to be.

She grasped Fílí's hand again and they slowly and silently made their way towards the feast. Each lost in their own thoughts.

When Lexi and Fílí finally made an entrance into the guest dining area, the feast was in full swing.

Bofur saw them hesitating by the door and motioned her over to sit beside him. Fílí went around to sit with Kílí. It was the first time they had consciously sat apart from one another. Lexi felt a little disconsolate that the interaction with Ainleyn has caused this hint of coolness between herself and Fílí, though maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to have a bit of space. It gave her some time to think about what had happened and sort out her feelings about it all.

Throughout the feast the dwarves were loud and raucous, as always, but Lexi couldn't help but think they seemed to be on their very worst possible behavior. On purpose.

She spent the dinner nibbling on the meal, thinking about Dwarf/Elf relations and trying to inconspicuously watch Fílí. Fílí, along with the ever faithful Kílí, seemed to be the life of the party. He laughed, clinked ale mugs, told stories, sang along with the rest when Bofur hopped on the table to sing a dwarvish drinking song and joined merrily into the food fight that both amused and horrified Lexi in equal measure.

She kept stealing glances towards the dais where Elrond and Gandalf seemed politely oblivious to the dwarves' actions. Lindir looked completely revolted.

When dinner finally broke up and the dwarves headed off to their designated guest area, located far away from the Elves personal rooms, Lexi hustled over towards Fílí (and Kílí) to catch him before he got too far away with the others. She'd decided on a few things over the course of the dinner, the first being they were going to discuss what happened in the hallway.

"Excuse me Kíls, I want to steal your brother away for a while.

Kílí couldn't resist an opening like that. "Steal him away? You did that months ago." He put on a mournful face, "We used to be inseparable, but now…" Kílí heaved a huge sigh, looking out of the corner of his downcast eye to see her reaction. "Just don't keep him all night," he added suggestively, changing his sad mouth into a leer of sorts.

Lexi usually went along with this narrative, playing up her (feigned) guilt, begging Kílí to forgive her. Sometimes they'd bicker back & forth in jest, but it generally ended with Kílí forgiving her, a couple of brotherly bear hugs and occasionally the rest of the company applauding them like it was Hamlet. Lexi had even taught Kílí to declare 'and scene' at the end, mostly for her personal amusement. It helped pass the time on the trail.

Fílí generally left them to it, occasionally a little exasperated (she was never sure if it was with her, Kílí, or the both of them), but mostly amused. He'd once told Lexi he was glad that his little brother had found someone to work out his youthful silliness with. Lexi was not entirely sure what to make of that sentiment, and how it reflected on her, but decided it was best left alone. If he thought they'd grow out of it, that she would grow out of it, he was in for a surprise.

Tonight, however, Lexi decided to go the shock and awe (and truth) route. "What a great suggestion Kíls," she put on her most innocent face, "I think I will keep him all night." She positively beamed at him. "Don't wait up."

And with that, she spun around and led Fílí off to her personal elvish apartment.


	12. Chapter 12

**Warning: Lemonade, Lemon Meringue, Lemon Sorbet, Lemons! **

Neither of them spoke as Lexi led Fìlì through the quiet halls of Rivendell. Her room had always been in the guest quarter, even though she had long outstripped what could ever be politely called a guest. For the most part, she had usually been alone in the wing and if the stillness of the hallways indicated anything, it was that they were to be the sole occupants again tonight.

Lexi paused in front of the door of the room that had been her oasis from the time she awoke in pain, in a strange land, surrounded by out worldly people. She put a hand on it, remembering when it was part of her daily life; a life that seemed so far in the past now, after everything she'd been through since she left.

She opened the door and drew Fìlì inside after her, still lost in memories.

As she moved further in the room, she dropped his hand and started to run hers along the vanity table that she'd spent time learning from Ainleyn how to arrange her hair in Elvish fashion.

She moved onto the dresser, that, upon looking into the first drawer, still held her clothes, including the strange (to the elves), torn and stained jeans, sweater and jacket she'd been wearing when Gandalf had carried her, dying, into Rivendell. The elvish tailors had marvelled at the zippers, colours and branding of each article and questioned her closely about their manufacture and purpose. She'd been at a loss to explain how zippers were made, unfortunately for them.

She plucked a book off the top, a copy of popular Elvish myths that Linder had commissioned for her as gift. She wanted to take it with her when they left again, as she'd always treasured it and was unsure when, or if, she'd return a third time.

She wandered on to the full-length window that opened into the common grounds and held a pool that was naturally warmed from an underground spring. She's spent a lot of time in that pool when she'd recovered enough from her injuries to hobble to it. It has eased her pain and given her time to think. Sometimes, she would immerse herself until only her upturned face was above the waterline and she would stare at the sky, pretending it was the sky of her childhood, trying to understand what had happened, how it had happened and sometimes even if it were real.

Letting the curtain drop, she reigned in the memories, sighed and resolutely put them properly into the past. There was no going backwards. She turned to Fìlì, who was her present and her future.

He stood by the door where she had left him, silent, watching – letting her drift through her memories without interruption. Being his wonderful self.

All joking with Kìlì aside, Lexi's plan for the evening had been to discuss Ainleyn rudeness, Thorin's sullenness, Fìlì's discomfort with her revelation of her time spent at Rivendell and to apologize that she hadn't shared that part of her life sooner, as it seemed to upset him a little. Basically, she'd planned a whole lot of talking and, maybe at the end, another heady make-out session as a reward for 'adulting' the situation properly. Now she wondered when she should divulge her real history. Or even if she should. It was not so much she wanted to hide it, but more that she was at a complete loss to explain it. Even Elrond, with his interminable patience and desire for knowledge had eventually given up trying to make sense of what she was telling him. Because it didn't make any sense; not really. He kept saying he believed her, but what frame of reference did they have in common to build on? She might as well have been asking him to believe she lived on the moon before showing up in Gandalf's arms. Only she didn't know where the moon was, or how she'd left it, or arrived where she was now. Some days, Lexi started to wonder if she believed herself. Maybe she'd been injured and left by someone from Westron and dreamed up Toronto, her family and friends, her life. But then there were the zippers, the Dish Jeans, the Patagonia Jacket, Sorrel Boots, sitting just over there in the drawer and she knew it was all real.

But seeing him there, being his glorious self, golden hair shining in the moonlight, the beads in his hair and beard glinting and those changeable hazel eyes fixed on her drove most of the rational thought out of her brain. The time to talk was in day light, with brightness, with birds singing and people working. Moonlight, with its darkness, its silence, when all were sleeping, was time for something more.

Lexi crossed the room, holding Fìlì's gaze, until she stood in front of him again. She cupped his cheek, running her thumb along the bristly border of his beard. His eyes seemed to darken but he did not move. Lexi pressed against him and kissed him, slowly, deeply; a kiss that in its own way was a conversation. It was a kiss that told him she wanted him, a kiss that asked him to stay with her this night, a kiss that gave him permission to her bed.

He did not disappoint.

With a growl, deep in his throat and sexy as hell, Fìlì's arm wrapped around her waist to pull her tightly against him. After thoroughly kissing her mouth, he moved on to her jaw and neck, sucking, licking, adding in the occasional playful nip. His other hand grasped one side of her bum, pulling her against him. Lexi struggled to formulate full words. All she was capable of was whispering, whimpering and moaning his name, somewhat breathlessly, over and over, "Fìlì!"

Sliding his other hand around the other side of her bum, he lifted her up effortlessly as her legs wrapped naturally around his waist. She was lost to the feeling of his mouth on hers, the taste of his lips, the texture of his tongue; the way his hair felt as she ran her hand through it; the strength of him as he carried het to the bed.

Breaking the kiss, he gently laid her on the feather mattress. Lexi scooched to the middle and the popped up on her knees the meet him in the middle. Grasping the back his head, she pulled him into another deep and lingering kiss, but now her mind was working overtime.

She. Wanted. Those. Clothes. Off. Him.

She started fumbling with the laces on the left side of his Dwarvish overcoat, trying to keep the kiss going while getting it done. in the meantime, Fìlì was working on the buttons of her elvish overcoat. Finally she abandoned the kiss, to start working on the laces in earnest; why were they so damn tight? Fìlì had managed three of the many buttons of her coat, but was starting to curse under his breath.

Lexi was suddenly struck by memory of an awkward date when she was 16, and she and Brent Harris started making out in the front seat of his car in front of her house at the end of a movie date. She could still recall his fumbling attempts to unhook her bra at the back. She didn't really want him too, but was too inexperienced to say 'no', so she'd let him fumble around for a while until he gave up and tried to go up the front of her shirt instead. Thank goodness her brother had thrown on the porch light, giving Lexi the excuse to break off and go inside. The memory made Lexi smile, and then, suddenly, she was giggling at the memory and how similarly fumbling this situation seemed, though it was her too this time. This time though, she wanted Fìlì to succeed getting her clothes off. She wanted it very much. And yet, here they were, struggling with the fastenings like two teenagers. That thought made Lexi laugh harder, and when she met Fìlì's quirked eyebrow gaze, she laughed harder still.

Finally she gasped out "You do you & I'll do me, or we'll be at this all night!" Lexi started effortlessly unbuttoning her own coat to prove her point. Fìlì ran a hand through her hair, kissed her forehead, grinned a her and then started easily on his own laces. Soon they were flinging articles of clothing off the side of the bed. Fìlì even started making a bit of a show of it to her surprise; giving her a bit of wink when her started removing an alarming number of knives from about his person and an arch look when he started on the lacings on the front of his trousers. This was a lighthearted facet of him that she'd not met yet and she was delighted by it. Fìlì left most of the humourous antics to his younger brother but apparently there was more of a sense of humour than he's been letting on. She loved it.

However once the last garments hit the floor, Lexi sobered up again quickly.

Fìlì's body was amazing in all it's naked glory. Her hands drifted toward him, wanting to feel the planes of his well-muscled chest, covered in the same golden hair that crowned his head and filled his face. Fìlì let her hands explore his chest, arms, thighs and face. All the while, she was aware of his semi-erect penis, nestled in the hair at the apex of his thighs. It was...large and for the first time, Lexi felt a bit nervous. What if she couldn't accommodate him? She wanted this connection with him; she loved him more than she'd ever known she could love someone. But, facing facts, her body wasn't made to fit his.

Fìlì plucked her hand off his chest and nuzzled his face into it. How he knew it would make her feel better almost immediately was one of those mysteries that was him. He seemed to know what she needed, often before she even knew herself. He then reached out and started his own exploration, fondling her breasts, running his hands along her arms, her collarbone, her ribcage and along her thighs. Suddenly, her pulled her forward, so she was straddling his thighs and started sucking on her breasts; first one, than the other. Desire started dulling the worries hovering at the back of her brain. It just felt so good. Lexi ran her fingers through his hair, encouraging him to continue his ministrations on her breasts. A moan escaped her lips and she actually felt him smile against her as the sound reached his ears. Cocky bastard.

Lexi felt like she was melting and could feel her desire pooling between her legs, knowing he must feel it too. Almost like he could hear her thoughts, one of his hands reached down and began gently stroking the liquid path between her legs. Lexi gasped and nipped his shoulder in approval. Fìlì's mouth continued to play with her nipples, alternately licking, and sucking with the occasional soft bite while his fingers stroked a blissful rhythm against her pussy. Lexi tried to keep kissing him, but she was rapidly unspooling and having trouble concentrating on anything but his mouth on her breast and hand on her pussy.

Then he inserted a finger.

Lexi hadn't known she was going to be that sensitive, and that one finger would almost sent her over the edge. She'd given up any attempt to do anything but weakly lean against him. His thumb was working her clit as his finger stroked in and out. Where had he learned to do this, she almost jealously wondered? He was no amateur. Just when she was pondering in the back corner of her mind how jealous she should be, he inserted a second finger. After a few strokes, it did send her over the edge. Lexi climaxed, hard, her walls clenching his fingers as the waves of bliss washed over her. She collapsed against him.

"Wow", she muttered into his chest. She felt a laugh rumbled through it.

After giving herself a moment to re-orient, Lexi reached determinedly between them to start stroking Fìlì's now fully hard cock. She wanted to make him feel as good as he made her feel.

Fìlì closed his eyes and groaned, obviously enjoying her hands on him. Lexi knew what she wanted to do next, but was a little unsure if it would be considered acceptable. Throwing caution to the wind, she kissed him hard on the lips and then dipped her head and licked his cock, starting at the base and slowly working to the tip; finally taking the whole top into her mouth. Fìlì gasped and when she snuck a look up towards his face, he looked positively pole-axed. Keeping her eyes on him to gauge reaction, she swirled her tongue around and took a little more of the top in her mouth. Fìlì groaned again, the sound resonating deep in his chest. His hand drifted into her hair, supporting her head. Lexi learned two things in that moment; experienced or not, no one had done this for him before and he was definitely OK with it. With that green light, Lexi threw herself into pleasuring him. Gripping his shaft in both hands, Lexi worked on setting a rhythm of rubbing, licking and sucking, feeling cocky herself when he started rocking into her mouth. She mixed it up by occasionally taking his large balls into her mouth and sucking gently. The first time she did this, she was awarded with another look of total surprise on his face, that melted into another chest rumbling groan. Better and better. By this time, she'd worked him fully onto his back, so his whole body was her playground. As she sucked him, she also occasionally played with his beard, his nipples; ran her hands up and down his chest and thighs, enjoying the feeling of him under her hands and in her mouth. Soon he started to become erratic in his breathing and movements and she knew he was close. She double down with both hands on his shaft and focused on pulling him as deep into her mouth as she could.

"Lexi!" He looked at her frantically and she could tell he was worried that he couldn't hold back.

She popped her mouth off his cock and answered, "It's OK Fìlì, just come." She returned to her ministrations.

With a bellow, he did come - hard. Lexi took it all in, swallowing as streams of his seed burst into her throat.

Now it was his turn to lie bonelessly back, trying to get his breathing back to normal.

Lexi felt rather proud of herself.

She slithered off the bed and went over to the sideboard where there was always a flagon of wine and some tidbits of food to be found. The elves were consummate hosts; no one would ever be hungry in their company. She felt that they could both use with a bit of refreshment. She poured out two glasses of watered wine and made a little plate of cheese, bread, fruit and nuts. Balancing it all together, she headed back to the bed.

Fìlì's gaze was...appreciative...as Lexi strolled nakedly across the room. She felt quite good about that. She handed him a glass and the plate, which he placed on the side table on his side of the bed. She set her glass down and was climbing back on the bed when he pounced. She was always shocked how quick he moved despite his stocky frame. He pulled her onto him and kissed her thoroughly for a few minutes. Letting her go, he reached over and brought back to plate, balancing it on his chest. Lexi chose a couple of cherries to nibble on, while Fìlì hoovered up some of the cheese and bread. She could feel him playfully sizing her up.

"You are a magical creature."

Lexi tried to look modest but truth be told, she was chuffed that he looked so happy and relaxed.

"You're not so bad yourself", she offered, picking a couple of candied nuts off the plate.

"This was your room...before?" He asked her.

Lexi nodded and looked around, "I spent a lot of time here, about a year, and they left it as mine. It still has all my things. It was, is, a peaceful place. Sometimes I miss it." She hadn't meant to say that, but it just came out. She realized it was because it was true. Sometimes she did miss it.

She could see him taking in the room, adjusting to the thought that she'd lived here for such along time.

"It's nice", which was just about as much as Fìlì ever said about anything when he was in a thoughtful mood.

Watching him lie in her bed, being thoughtful, kind, intelligent and gorgeous, Lexi started to feel a bit of fire stirring in her belly again. Enough with the pre-show, it was time for the main event. Even though she was still a bit nervous about logistics, she learned that Fìlì was a generous lover and she trusted him to love her the way she needed him to.

She put the almost empty plate on the side table and then plucked the nearly empty wine glass out of his fingers as he was about to drink the last bit. She downed it herself with a mischievous smile, earning a chuckle.

Turning back, she spread her naked body on his and kissed him with intent. Fìlì responded, kissing her deeply, cupping bum and wedging her tightly against him. She felt her core heating up again and felt Fìlì begin to harden against her belly. Wanting hands on him again, she stroked his cock, marvelling in at the feel of the velvet hardness; glorifying in her ability to make him want her. Meanwhile, Fìlì was testing her readiness, running a finger through her slickness.

Lexi expected them to go missionary. It was what most men seem to prefer, but Fìlì had a different idea. Still kissing her deeply, he rolled them onto their sides and pulled her top leg up, hooking it over his hip. This move positioned his cock right against her vagina. Lexi tensed, ready for him to push inside her.

Instead, Fìlì started sliding his cock along her slick slit, rubbing her clit with the tip. It felt fantastic. Lexi was almost embarrassed at the sounds she started making, but she couldn't stop. Fìlì was looking at her like a satisfied cat that just caught a mouse. He seemed to be enjoying her embarrassing noises, so she gave up trying to contain them. He was going to make her come again, and he'd never even been inside her yet. Lexi was starting to feel desperate.

"Fìlì please," she gasped out.

"Please, what?"

Was he teasing her?

Lexi decided to take the bull by the horns, or in this case, the cock in the hands. She reached down and positioned him at her core and started pushing herself onto him. By this point, she'd forgotten all about tense; she wanted him inside her more than she'd ever wanted anything else.

Fìlì's hand was around her hip, guiding her onto his shaft. After he was about an inch in, she hesitated. He was large and it was a tight fit. Fìlì kissed her again and then started to pull out.

"No, no, no, no", she gasped. She wanted this, she really wanted this..

"Patience Amrâlimâ, patience".

Not her strong point.

He pulled almost completely out and then started to gently push back in again. Yes! The side position allowed her to control how much of his cock she could take. It allowed her the freedom to back off a bit if she wanted and to allow more if she wanted. She was a fan.

They managed a couple more inches this time before she started to tense against him again. Fìlì immediately pulled back again, before they started to slowly come together again, each time a little deeper than the last. Lexi marvelled at his control; it was only his ragged breathing that gave away his struggle to keep things slow. After a few more slow strokes, he was finally buried completely inside her. They paused for a moment, giving Lexi time to adjust. The need to move, to feel the friction of him inside her soon overcame her and she started to move back and forth on him. After her first few thrusts against him, Fìlì couldn't hold back anymore; nor did she want him to. He started to match her thrusts and soon they were ramping up to a steady rhythm. Lexi felt like she was on fire and only Fìlì could douse the flames. She could barely keep it together when his tongue started to delve into her mouth, keeping time with his thrusting cock. Before long, she felt the build of another orgasm coming. Unable to concentrate on anything but his wondrous cock turning her wild, she abandoned his mouth, her focus only for her tightening pussy.

"Fìlì, yes, yes, yes!"

Lexi knew that some people called it "the little death' but she always thought is was an exaggeration by people who liked to pretend an orgasm was more than it was. This time, however, she understood.

The orgasm ripped through her like an earthquake. Her walls clenched Fìlì's cock so hard that she was briefly worried that she might hurt him. She had almost no control over her body as she shuddered against him again, again and yet again. She thought she might have even blacked out a little. Just as she was coming back to earth, she felt Fìlì become erratic in his thrusts and breathing and knew he was ready too. With a animalistic growl (that she quite appreciated), he stiffened and came, hard, inside her. He stroked and came again, and stroked and came again and with a final few strokes, came one last time.

They collapsed against each other. Lexi buried her face in his beard, luxuriating in the musky sweat he was coated him. Fìlì kissed her forehead. They stayed like that for a bit. Too blissed out to move.

Finally, Lexi rolled on her back, regretting the feeling of Fìlì sliding out of her. He rolled over on his back too, throwing one arm up around his head.

"Amazing," she murmured. She saw Fìlì grin out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes', he agreed.

"Pretty proud of yourself?"

Fìlì grinned more broadly, "yes", he agreed again.

Lexi chuckled, "Well, you should be."

She stretched and snuggled over to his side, warm. drowsy and sated. In a classic Fìlì move, her tucked her into his side, wrapping one arm around her. Protecting her in her sleep, even in one of the safest place in the world.

They slept.


End file.
